These vehicles usually save lives. But an ambulance rolled over a toddler in London. Oliver Ladwa, 2, thought it was part of a game. He was one of about 20 children at the demonstration given by London Ambulance Service, reported The Times. He smiled at teachers who were screaming at him to get out of the way as the vehicle rolled towards him. But they failed to save him and he was crushed to death.
Nursery staff and the paramedic manning the ambulance fought to stop it from rolling, But their efforts were in vain. Ms Victoria Brown, an assistant at the St. Barnabas playgroup in Ealing, West London, said: ‘I know it’s silly now but we were trying to stop it.’
Oliver was at the back of the ambulance as it began to roll, she told the inquest at West London Coroners Court. ‘He was crouching down,’ she said. ‘He was smiling and I was screaming at him to move. He was such a smiley boy and I kept shouting his name. But he thought it was fun.’
Mr John Stubbs, the paramedic responsible for conducting school visits, told the inquest he remembered putting on the handbrake and putting the automatic gearbox into parking mode. He told the inquest that he did not see the children playing with the handbrake or the gear lever.
Copyright 2005 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. Regn. No. 198402868E. All rights reserved.